Hot Cross Buns

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Most recipes call for the icing to be piped on after baking, but this traditional recipe calls for a white dough to form the cross.

 

Hot Cross Buns

Print Recipe
Course Dessert
Servings 16 Buns

Ingredients
  

Fruit - see notes below

  • 1/4 cup dried currants
  • 1/4 cup rum

Dough

  • 2.5 tsp active dry yeast ( 1 package, 0.25 oz )
  • 3/4 cup warm milk (100F)
  • 3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1 egg beaten
  • 1 tbsp orange zest ( 1 tsp extract )
  • 1 tbsp lemon zest ( 1 tsp extract )
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp cardamom
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/2 cup melted butter

Cross

  • 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup water

Glaze

  • 3 tbsp water
  • 1/4 cup sugar

Instructions
 

Fruit

  • Soak the fruit in the alcohol for 2 hours, then drain - save the liquid for later use.

Dough

  • Whisk yeast, milk, 1/4 cup of the flour in a large bowl, and let sit 10-15 minutes to confirm the yeast is active (small bubbles should be forming).
  • Add the rest of the dough ingredients (see notes about the flour), and knead until the dough pulls cleanly from the bowl. If this hasn't happened after 6-8 minutes, adjust accordingly (see notes below).
  • After 12-15 minutes, the dough should be soft and shiny.
  • Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface.
  • Flatten the dough to an oval about 1/2" thick.
  • Sprinkle the fruit across the dough, fold a third towards the middle, fold the other end towards the middle.
  • Turn the log sideways, and fold it by thirds again.
  • Form into a ball, transfer to a clean bowl, lightly spray with oil, cover, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, around 2 hours.
  • Lightly punch the dough down, transfer to lightly floured work surface.
  • Weigh the dough and divide into 16 even pieces (or roll into a log, cut it in half 4 times because of the power of math).
  • Roll each piece of dough into a round ball, and place on a baking sheet (preferably on a silicone mat, parchment paper if you don't have a mat).
  • Let rise 15 minutes.

Make the crosses

  • Mix the water and flour until it's thick.
  • Transfer to a piping bag.
  • After the buns have risen, pipe a cross across the tops.
  • Preheat oven to 425F
  • Let rise again until the balls have doubled from the original size, around 20 minutes.
  • Bake the buns until golden brown, approx 15 minutes.

Glaze

  • Mix the sugar and water in a pan over medium heat.
  • Bring to a simmer and cook until the sugar is dissolved, and the syrup starts to thicken, or temperature reaches 225F.
  • Remove from heat.

Final step!

  • Let the buns cool on a rack for 5 minutes, then lightly brush the glaze over the tops of the buns.

Notes

The traditional dried fruit is currants, but you can use raisins, cherries, and/or cranberries. The traditional liquid used to hydrate the fruit is rum, but bourbon, cognac, or a citrus liqueur also work.
 
When making the dough, if it seems very dry after 6-8 minutes of kneading, add 1 tsp of milk. If it's still wet, add 1 tbsp of flour.
 
If you have any fun fruit, you can press them into the middle of the crosses before baking.